Murderer Lucy Li broke bail to go to restaurant and gym, leaving mom to pay $1M fine: Hamilton court

While Yun Lu "Lucy" Li was waiting to go on trial for first-degree murder, she breached her bail conditions to eat lunch at a restaurant with a potential Crown witness, work out at the gym in her sister's luxury Toronto condo and use her cellphone unsupervised. 

The cost for the breach: $1 million to her mom, Hong Wei Liao, as ordered by Justice Andrew Goodman in a Hamilton courtroom May 16. 

"She never imagined for a moment that her daughter would ever do something as thoughtless, selfish, irresponsible," said Liao's lawyer William Smart.

Li is currently serving a life sentence with no chance of parole for 25 years for murdering Tyler Pratt and attempting to murder Jordyn Romano after a jury found both her and her partner Oliver Karafa guilty a year ago. 

But before the trial, in December 2021, Liao had pledged $2 million when she signed as a surety for Li after what Goodman described as a "hotly contested" bail hearing, which he presided over. Three of Liao's friends, including Nam Sook Bae, also became sureties and committed another nearly $1 million.

A surety is someone who agrees to ensure the person out on bail meets their court-ordered bail conditions. 

Bae is now required to forfeit $50,000 of the $200,000 she pledged.

"None of these people are bad people," said Bae's lawyer Dean Paquette at the hearing earlier this month. "They came forward with the best of intentions: to grant someone liberty pending a trial." 

Liao's two other friends don't face any penalties as they were not responsible for Li at the time of the breaches, as agreed by both the Crown and defence lawyers for the four sureties, who were all present at the hearing, along with Li's lawyer. 

Li apologizes for 'blowing it'

The amount being forfeited is "exceptional," capping off an "exceptional" case, said assistant Crown attorney Mark Dean. 

"Given the seriousness of the charges she was facing, the extraordinary sums pledged and the apparent flagrant nature of the breaches, there remains a great public interest in proceeding with forfeitures," he said. 

"It sends a message to the public and Hamilton community that promises made to the court to secure someone's release matter." 

Li's lawyer Frank Addario said she accepts full responsibility for the breaches. 

"She's asked me to convey to the court her sincere regret for blowing it," he said. "She has apologized to the sureties through me and unfortunately that's the most she can do in her current circumstances." 

In early 2021, Li and Karafa lured Pratt and Romano, their business partners and friends from Toronto, to a Stoney Creek warehouse under the guise of a secret meeting. Karafa then shot and killed Pratt.

He also shot Romano in the heart but she escaped and was rescued by a person who happened to be driving by. Romano was 13-weeks pregnant and the fetus did not survive. 

Li and Karafa fled to Europe but police extradited them back to Canada months later. 

$3M bail among highest in Ontario

At the bail hearing that December, Liao promised Goodman she'd "chain lock" her daughter's door at night, install iron bars on the window and take away her credit cards and ability to drive, Smart told Goodman this month. 

But Liao went out of town in May 2023 and Bae was in charge of Li, who was "actively manipulating and deceiving her," Paquette said.

Li told Bae she needed to meet with a paralegal about a potential lawsuit and that's how they ended up at a Chinese restaurant in Markham, a city outside of Toronto, said Paquette. Li and Bae ate lunch with Li's two sisters and a man who was a possible Crown witness.

Going to the restaurant and speaking to the man were both breaches of her bail conditions although they didn't interfere with the trial, Paquette noted.

The next day, Li told Bae the paralegal meeting would actually take place at her sister's condo in a five-star hotel in downtown Toronto, Paquette said. "Foolishly, unwisely," Bae allowed Li to use her phone and the gym while in the building— two more breaches. 

After investigating GPS monitoring of Li, police arrested and charged her with four counts of breaching bail conditions and she remained in jail until her trial. The breach charges were withdrawn by the Crown when Li was sentenced for first-degree murder, which already carries the maximum sentence, said Dean. 

But even without charges, Goodman has the power to order forfeitures, which he did.

"This is the highest amount I've ever ordered, and I'm not sure it's equalled in Ontario," Goodman said. "I appreciate the sincerity of all the sureties and a mother's love for her daughter in pledging her hard-earned money, as well as her friends in stepping up in support." 

Liao and Bae have a year to pay the court.